North Kesteven council tax rise after ‘laughable’ government funding
Residents in North Kesteven will see their council tax rise this year – that’s after the council said it is receiving less money than ever from the government.
The 2.96 per cent increase means that the tax for an average Band D property will rise from £194.40 to £200.16, approximately 12p per week extra.
For the cheaper Bands A and B, which make up the majority of homes in North Kesteven, this will be an increase of £3.84 and £4.48 respectively for the year.
Leaders of the Conservative-run council said the increase was necessary to balance the budget as the authority faced uncertain times.
Leader Councillor Richard Wright told the budget meeting on Thursday (February 26): “I would rather not increase it by a single penny, let alone 12.
“However, that would potentially mean getting even less government support next year.”
He added: “Our job has been made more difficult with new burdens from the government, and money being stripped away from councils like ours to be given to other authorities.”
Coun Wright promised the council would continue to deliver “high-quality value-for-money services” despite the challenges.
The budget for 2026/27 was supported by all but two councillors, with many complaining about the new government funding.
Conservative Councillor Mary Green described it as a “farce which has not helped rural areas – what the government has given with one hand, they have taken away with another.”
It was labelled as “laughable” by Conservative Councillor Stephen Roe.
Approximately £5 million will be put aside over the next two financial years to prepare for the major council shake-up which will likely see all current Lincolnshire authorities abolished.
Independent Councillor Peter Overton compared it to a “hostile takeover”, and asked if some of the money could be spent on other services instead.
“Despite excellent work from officers, the state of litter in our district is appalling, and a little bit of that money would go a long way,” he said.
The broader budget position allows for a capital investment plan of £170m over three years and £352m over ten; of which £181m is targeted on new homes to meet resident and community needs and £33m more in job creation opportunities at Sleaford Moor Enterprise Park.
Faced with challenges that include reduced central funding and the demise of the council itself through Local Government Reorganisation, Coun Wright said in a later statement: “It would be easy to scale back investment plans, but that is not what we are about.
“Instead, this administration continues to meet these challenges head on, continues to invest in our district and continues to deliver for our residents. The fact that it appears almost certain the local authority we currently decide upon will not be here in two to three years’ time, does not mean that the same residents won’t still exist. And the plans and investment we put in place now will be carried forward by the new authority to realise those ambitions and aspirations for those residents. We owe it to our residents to do the best we can for them, regardless of whether we’ll be here to see all the well-laid plans come to fruition or not."
The total bill, when it arrives in mid-March, will include further charges for the county council, police and, in most cases, the local town or parish council. North Kesteven’s share amounts to less than one tenth of the total – around nine pence in every pound. Generally, the county council’s share is about 73 per cent of the total, the police about 14 per cent and parish or town councils about five per cent.
The government says that its new funding formula will give extra cash to areas of higher poverty and those hit by cuts in the last decade.
Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government, said: “We promised to reconnect funding to deprivation — and this final settlement delivers on that promise.
“With more new funding, we’re giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead and transform services.”